Tell us a little about yourselves!
We met in high school math class in a suburb of outside of Boston. While we didn't make it official until years later living in Brooklyn, anyone could have told you we were inseparable and likely soulmates from the start. Currently living in the New Hampshire seacoast, Sarah works for a civil liberties non-profit, and Gavin works for a governance, risk, and compliance technology start-up. We share a passion for traveling the world experiencing new cultures and cuisine. When we're not travelling, we can be found on, in, or next to the Atlantic Ocean, at a greasy spoon diner sifting through headlines, antiquing, or cuddling with our dog Amos while working through the criterion collection.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
Our goal was for guests to experience a piece of the love and life we've built together. As native New Englanders who recently settled into the NH/ME Seacoast, we felt it was only right to host our celebrations in the area that we now call home.
The weekend festivities took place in Portsmouth, NH and Kittery, ME – two quintessential New England coastal towns that are connected by a bridge over the Piscataqua River. Pepperrell Cove in Kittery, ME was our immediate pick for the ceremony and reception as it was the perfect combination of sea and shore that encapsulates what we love about the area. Donna Ryan, from Pepperrell Cove, quickly understood us, our intentions for the event, and the warmth we wanted to convey – which she executed upon masterfully! Also, the food they offer is amazing and the chef, Eides Ares, collaborated with us on a thoughtful family-style menu that highlighted New England tradition while also being uniquely personal to us.
How many guests did you have?
115.
Tell us about your outfits.
For the wedding, Sarah wore a custom gown by Danielle Frankel with shoes from The Row. For the afters, she wore a Markarian Isabel Embroidered Maxi Dress. Gavin wore a classic tuxedo from Tom Ford.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
The guest experience was paramount in planning our wedding. We wanted to be consummate hosts – to provide enough context so people knew where to be and when and how they’d get there. So they could take independent downtime and feel present.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
As a throwback to our high school days (where we'd often find ourselves aimlessly driving around in an old white Land Cruiser) we decided to incorporate our 1989 white Land Cruiser as our getaway car! It also was the mode of transportation for Sarah to get to the venue, thanks to important pick-up by our brothers. Beyond chauffeuring, our brothers played other major roles in the big day. Gavin's brother officiated the ceremony which added a personal touch to our union. Sarah's brother walked her down the aisle - a beautiful clamshell path - to a lovely rendition of Simon + Garfunkel's "America" by The Fenway String Quartet. Additionally, the groomsmen performed the first dance song, making the moment even more special.
Any tips for couples getting married?
Make sure to prioritize moments with each other, it’s a busy time with lots of people and energy. It was exciting to carve out opportunities for surprises. On the morning of the wedding, with the help of friends and family, we each had paintings delivered to the others hotel unbeknownst to each other. Later on that day, we opted out of a first look, making the aisle reveal even more special. Don’t feel pressured by trends!
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
Our photographers, Kindred, were incredible and knew exactly what we were looking for. Beyond that, Elle and Tennessee were an absolute joy to have around – they relayed a sense of calm, advocated for us during the day and helped us stay present. They caught all the best light and created an incredible archive of movements to refer to. It’s never been harder to pick what to frame!
Wild Valentine did more than just your standard table arrangements. Sarah and her team went above and beyond - we had poms in the rafters (a subtle nod to the fireworks surprise after the first round of dancing), they decorated our vintage 1989 FJ62, which then never looked better for the bride’s secret arrival and our ride to the afterparty, and created the grounded arc for the ceremony, letting the ocean sparkle behind us. Inspired by the women preparing together from the film “Monsoon Wedding”, Wild Valentine brought a soft romance with mossy bursts of marigold. Elephantine! Scattered throughout the weekend, the baked delights from downtown were a real treat! From the wedding cake, all deserts and even the brunch, Nadine and her team brought all the best traditional pastries, from scratch! The Off Menu Potts potters Leigh and Clara, worked with us to create the place setting favours for each guest. Each individual chowder mug was hand-painted and hand-thrown with each guests’ name on them! Our guests constantly send us pictures of their favours in use! One last shout out to Donna at Pepperrell Cove! Her attention to detail and design, passion for her craft and care for us was irreplaceable.
Photographer : Kindred @kindredweddings | Videographer : Moon + Back @moonandbackco | Ceremony + Reception Location : Pepperrell Cove @pepperrellcove @the_view_at_pepperrell_cove | Celebrant : Zack Maxfield @zmax222 | Entertainment : Green Heron @greenheronmusic Soggy Po’Boys @soggypoboys + The Fenway String Quartet Business Time @businesstimerock
Lady Dre @Ladi.Dre | Planner : Lauren Wilson Events @laurenwilsonevents | Hire : Peak Rentals @peakeventservices | Wedding Favours : Off Menu Pots | Flora : Wild Valentine @wildvalentine.co | Makeup Artist : Kristen Fiori Bridal Co. @kristenfiori | Hair : Thea Zikeli @tortoise.andthe.hair. | Cake : Elephantine @elephantinebakery | Stationery : Gus + Ruby @gusandrubyletterpress | Fireworks : Central Maine Pyrotechnics | Getting Ready Locations : Sailmakers House (Bride) @sailmakershouse + Hotel Portsmouth (Groom) @thehotelportsmouth | Wedding Dress : Danielle Frankel @daniellefrankelstudio | Bride's Shoes : The Row @therow | Jewellery : Catbird @Catbirdnyc | Ring : Suzie Saltzman @susiesaltzman | Reception Dress : Markarian 'Isabel' | Groom's Tux + Shoes : Tom Ford @tomford